Course
Requirements

Required
Reading

Reading
Schedule

Most
readings are found online at http://salsa.nmsu.edu.
Click on "C.J. Online Resources" to enter this WebCT
class and select the "Nature of Crime" option.
Readings are arranged by module, in the order they should be
read.

Click
here for the links to each module.
The web page for each module lists all relevant dates.
There is a lot of reading
required for this course. You are not expected to focus
on every detail in every article. It is important that
you not "miss
the forest for the trees." Do all the reading, look
for patterns and similarities. Then if you need specifics,
go back to the reading for more details.

Assignments

Journals
in this class will be posted online and students are expected
to review the journals of other students. Students should plan
to complete at least one journal submission per week. At the
end of the course completed journals should document a range
of thoughts about "The Nature of Crime." The best
journals demonstrate an evolution of thought as we move through
readings
and other course experiences. Journals should refer to readings
(in text, on reserve, and elsewhere), internet content, events
in the news, and other topics of interest.

The
format for these "blogs" is informal
and may include comments about anything you have on
your mind. Blogs can include links, graphics, and other web-based
content. The
grading criteria will include frequency of posts, evidence
that the student is doing the reading and thinking about
the material, and evidence of a progression of thought
regarding the issues raised in this class. Grading will not
be completed
until the end of the class so that the entire journal can
be reviewed.

Although
you have several options, you may be using an advertiser
supported service for these journals.
These free services provide the features we need for the
class, although we have to put up with advertisements. We are
using
something called "web logs" or "blogs" for
our journals. Click the "Journals" link
above for instructions. The "Journals" page will eventually include
links to the online journal of each student in the class.

Four
essay exams will be completed during the class. Exam questions
will be sent to each student at the beginning of the week in
which the essay is due. Essays should have sufficient breadth
and depth to indicate more than a passing awareness of the
issues raised in the questions. Grading will be determined
based on the thoroughness of response and the ability to properly
apply knowledge gained through reading the text. Essays should
be "term paper quality." Pay attention to spelling,
sentence and paragraph structure, organization, and citations.
Your papers should use APA
style, which is described in the Publication Manual of
the American Psychological Association (5th edition, 2001).

Questions
typically contain multiple parts. This is not done to make
questions more difficult. Multiple parts are recommended to
provide guidance that will lead to a high quality answer. Remember
to address each section but do not assume that the ideas raised
in each section are the only issues to be addressed in your
response.

This
is a group project. Each student will receive the same grade
unless there is evidence, shared by all members of the group,
about differing levels of participation from one or more group
members. Each group will be assigned a topic (from a list determined
by the class) for the final project. The final project should
include a one or two page introduction or summary followed
by an annotated list of internet links that will lead to further
information on the topic. The list of links should be carefully
edited to include high quality pages that are educational,
well organized, and expected to remain on the internet for
an extended period. Click
here for an example of a final project. Click
here for a guide that should be followed while formatting
the assignment for submission.

Your
projects will be published, with full acknowledgement of your
efforts, at justicepolicy.com. This site, which is currently
under development, will include links to justice related issues.
With you permission, your sites will be included in a section
devoted to law and society. When completing this assignment
you are expected to comply with essay exam expectations regarding
scope, depth, plagiarism, cites, writing quality, and organization.

Final
web sites are due on or before the end of the day November
29. Late submissions will not be accepted. I
am happy to review outlines, rough drafts, or any other
preliminary work. More information about this assignment
will be provided in the "Web
Pages" section of this course outline.

Class
Activities: (15%)

Five
in-class activities will be completed throughout the semester.
These activities will include worksheets, group activities,
and other assignments. In general, these assignments will be
designed so that each participant receives full credit. These
activities will be completed on predetermined dates that are
not known to students. These assignments are measures of attendance,
participation, and knowledge.

The
online forum allows us the opportunity to discuss a range of
issues. The forum is an online "bulletin board." Each
of you may post questions, reactions to course content, comments
about materials available on the Internet, responses to other
questions or comments, or whatever you feel like sharing with
others. The forum is especially helpful for those who want
to share information found on the internet. Links to sites
can be easily included in the forum.

This
class includes a forum and blogs. Each student is expected
to review the blogs of other students. The forum is the best
place to engage in discussion about points raised in blogs.
It may be helpful to think of communication tools as a continuum.
For example:

The
best example of synchronous communication is a face-to-face
conversation. No time gaps are present. Chat rooms are similar,
but without non-verbal cues. Online forums or bulletin boards
allow quick two-way communication, but also provide an opportunity
to reflect on things before offering a response. The forum
also serves as a gathering spot with a collection of comments.
Forum comments are offered with the expectation of some sort
of response. In contrast, blogs typically represent something
that is shared with others, but there is not necessarily
an expectation of response. The blog doesn't include any
sort of group organization structure so it is difficult to
share comments. Journal articles are timely, relative to
textbooks, but allow very little interact. Textbooks are
the product of a long period of time and involve very little
interaction.

I
encourage you to think of this continuum since I know there
can be confusion about the role of the forum and blogs. We
will use the forum to comment on blogs, and anything else
we wish to discuss. Grading will be based on frequency, relevance,
and evidence that students are reflecting and commenting
on the blogs of other students.

In
addition to class discussion, the forum is the area in which
I will send communications intended to be read by the entire
class. Plan to visit the forum often.

Participation:
(up to 10 points may be deducted)

Your
experience, and the learning experience of your classmates
and instructor, are greatly enhanced as the result of active
participation. You are likely to have strong opinions about
a number of the topics we will discuss. Let us hear what you
think by speaking up in class, joining discussions, and posting
comments in the bulletin board/discussion area. This course
will be
better
if you talk
more and I talk
less. I prefer not to dominate the discussion so each
of you will need to remain active throughout the semester.
You all have interesting ideas and viewpoints and we learn
more by sharing and trying to understand various views.

Notice
that the score for this item is a negative. As graduate students,
a certain level of participation is assumed. That level of
participation is expected and not included in the grade. Those
that fail to reach that level will lose points.

Course
Policies

Deadlines

Deadlines
are not suggestions. All written material will rapidly
lose points in the days following the due date. Zero points
will be awarded for missed assignments.

Withdrawing
from class

Class
withdrawal is your responsibility. If you disappear, we will
wonder where you are. However, we will not drop you from the
class. Withdrawals should follow University procedure. The
student is responsible for obtaining all necessary signatures
on drop slips.

ADA

If
you have or believe you have a disability, you may wish to
self-identify. You can do so by providing documentation
to the Office for Services for Students with Disabilities,
located at Garcia Annex (646-6840). Appropriate accommodations
may then be provided for you.

If
you have a condition which may affect your ability to exit
safely from the premises in an emergency or which may cause
an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss this
in confidence with the instructor and/or the director of Disabled
Student Programs. If you have general questions about
the Americans With Disabilities ACT (ADA), call 646-3333.

Academic
Misconduct

A
very high price can be paid when you are caught cheating. Too
high to risk. All written material must be your own composition.
Appropriate credit must be given for sources used in developing
your ideas and arguments. Provide appropriate citations. It
is easy to see when large sections of text have been lifted
from other Web pages. This is quite easy to verify as
well.

It
is not appropriate to submit work that was originally completed
for another course.

Please
refer to the Student Code of Conduct in the NMSU Student Catalog.
Students should pay particular attention to the following section
on academic misconduct taken from page 19 of the 1999-2000
Undergraduate Catalog. "Any student found guilty of academic
misconduct shall be subject to disciplinary action. Academic
misconduct includes, but is not limited to, the following actions:

1.
cheating or knowingly assisting another student in committing
an act of cheating or other forms of academic dishonesty;

2.
plagiarism, which includes, but is not necessarily limited
to, submitting examinations, themes, reports, drawing, laboratory
notes, undocumented quotation, computer processed materials,
or other materials as one’s own work when such work has been
prepared by another person or copied from another person;

4.
unauthorized changing of grades on an examination, in an instructor’s
grade book, or on a grade report; or unauthorized access to
computer records;

5.
nondisclosure or misrepresentation in filling out applications
or other university records in, or for, academic departments
or colleges".

NOTE:
The penalties for engaging in any of these acts of academic
misconduct will be determined on a case-by-case basis, but
will follow general university guidelines as to severity.

Classroom
Climate

Classroom
climate is not solely the Professor's responsibility. We encourage
each of you to engage in conversation on any issue. The University
is a place for free speech, limited through individual choice.
These choices may be altered with awareness of the real or
potential reaction of others. However, you should not be intimidated
into keeping quiet. We do not condone racist, sexist, homophobic,
or other hateful speech. You are all adults, capable of understanding
generally accepted rules of conduct and modifying your behavior
in an effort to comply with these social or legal expectations.
You are responsible for your behavior.

Final
Grades

Dr.
Mentor does not post or discuss final grades after the
conclusion of the course. If grades are made
available online, be advised that if there is any error
the grade you receive from the registrar is your official
grade. Grade changes will be made only in cases of data
or computation error. Please do not ask, beg, or otherwise
attempt to change a properly computed grade.

Course
Outline

This
course outline is intended to define much of what will happen
throughout this course. Changes are possible. Any changes will
be clearly presented to the class and will often include class
discussion. Changes will apply to all students enrolled in
this course, without regard to whether they were involved in
the discussion.